Sera’s friends exchanged glances. Noticing her disinterest in continuing the conversation, they fell silent.
That evening. Sera said goodbye to her friends and went back to her apartment. Her maid had already made a late–night snack. She bowed and quietly left.
Sera sat down, sipping her coffee and browsing her phone. The bitterness filled her mouth, but before she could frown, her phone buzzed. Her face paled. It was the headman from her uncle’s village.
He explained that her aunt had fallen ill after learning about what Julian had done to her. Her uncle was juggling caring for his mate and teaching. He hoped she could visit when she had time.
seyes welled up. Besides her parents, her aunt and uncle were the most important people in her life. They’d called her frequently, urging her to take care of herself. They didn’t tell her about her aunt’s illness, and she might never have known if the headman hadn’t
called.
She canceled her late–night snack and booked the earliest flight back. Then, she began packing.
Sera’s aunt and uncle were overjoyed to see her.
“You’re doing so well there. Why are you back?” her uncle asked.
“I just wanted to see you guys,” Sera said, placing gifts on the table.
Her aunt sighed.“This trip must have cost a fortune!”
Touched by her aunt’s concern, Sera took her hand.“I heard you were not feeling well. I’ll take you to the best hospital tomorrow.”
Her aunt refused.“I’m fine! Don’t spend your money on that.”
Speaking of the past, her aunt’s eyes filled with tears. She apologized for not stopping Sera from marry Julian.
Sera held no resentment towards them. She knew Chloe hated her long time ago. The first time they met, Chloe said, “Sera, I bet he’ll be mine in the end.”
At that time, she didn’t care, because Julian was so deeply in love with her. She thought even if every man in the world cheated, Julian wouldn’t.
Reality had slapped her hard. Fortunately her friends and family had stood by her. Even the Chloe’s family had disowned Chloe. Still, Julian deserved the most blame. If he had refused Chloe–if he had honored their mate bond, nothing would have happened. Sera insisted on taking her aunt and uncle to the hospital. Her aunt’s condition was serious; the doctor recommended a few days of observation. Sera admitted her aunt to a VIP room, hired a caretaker, and rented a courtyard house near the hospital for her uncle to stay in. Her aunt and uncle tried to give her money, but she secretly returned it.
That evening, after the caretaker came, Sera called the restaurant to send dinner to the hospital. In the corridor, she heard nurses shouting.
“Make way!
“Emergency surgery!”
“Make way!”
People hastily moved aside as a stretcher sped past. Sera froze. It was Julian!
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She wouldn’t have recognized him if she hadn’t spent five years with him. He was gaunt, pale, recking of alcohol. The people around covered their noses.
She was about to leave when she overheard whispers.
“Was that King Julian? What happened to him?”
“Serves him right. He had a good luna, but he cheated on his mate with that Chloe girl!”
“I heard he’s been drinking heavily since his mate left. He comes to the hospital all the time. His Lycan instincts would be frenzied, needing his mate, but unable to act on those feelings.”
Sera walked to the end of the corridor, a gust of wind making her shiver. After the call, she sat down, waiting.
Several people sat nearby, chatting.
“Hey, did you hear? Chloe’s out of jail!”
“What? How? Wasn’t she supposed to be there for years?”
The first speaker glanced around before whispering, “My brother–in–law works at the prison. Chloe’s pregnant again! The baby’s Julian’s.”
“She got pregnant in jail. Julian kept her locked up, planning to force an abortion. But he drank too much that he collapsed first.” “The Stones were afraid he’d have no children, so they brought Chloe to their place. They’re taking care of her, planning to send her away after the baby is born, and telling her never to return.”
Sera remained stunned until a delivery person handed her a large box of food.
She thanked him and returned to the ward, shivering again in the chilly wind. She gave some food to the caretaker, who thanked her and
left.
During dinner, Sera was distracted.
Her aunt noticed that.“Sera, what’s wrong?”
Sera forced a smile, claiming she was fine. Actually she was thinking about Julian and Chloe, who were probably both in this very hospital. If her aunt and uncle encountered them, her aunt might fall ill again. She couldn’t let that happen.
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Unknown to Sera, Julian’s parents were keeping Chloe under strict surveillance. They had even arranged for her prenatal checkups at a royal pack hospital, ensuring she couldn’t escape. They wouldn’t risk letting Julian see Chloe, because Julian didn’t want this child at all. There was no mate bond between her and Julian. It had always been about the manipulation and leverage the baby offered. No matter how much Chloe tried to convince herself otherwise, the reality was stark–she wasn’t Julian’s true mate, and the emotional connection was never real.
Chloe hadn’t tried to run. She understood that the baby was her only leverage. If she delivered the baby, she would be set for life. She obeyed the Stones‘ instructions, even curbing her temper with the servants.
Everyone thought the plan was foolproof. But the Stones forgot about one person- Julian’s butler, Edward.
Edward went to the Stone residence to get Julian’s laundry and saw Chloe. After thinking for a while, he quietly left.
Back at the hospital, Edward’s complicated expression made Julian doubt. His instincts flared–something wasn’t right. His senses, honed by the mate bond he once shared with Sera, felt the distance that now existed between them, and it made him frantic. Since Sera left, the bond between them had frayed, and the emotional connection Julian used to rely on felt hollow. He demanded an explanation- his temperament had changed since Sera left.
Edward quickly told Julian about Chloe and the Stones‘ orders to keep it a secret. Then, he anxiously awaited Julian’s reaction.
To Edward’s surprise, Julian simply waved him away. Once the door closed, he tossed aside the orange he was peeling, staring at the ceiling. If things hadn’t gone wrong, Sera might have been pregnant. It could have been a boy who looked like him or a girl who looked like her. Both would have carried traces of them.
He buried his face in his hands, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. But things had gone wrong. He didn’t even know where Sera was. How could they possibly have a child? He had destroyed the bond with Sera, torn apart the very connection that made him whole.
A nurse, changing his bandages, urged him to find someone to take care of him. She mentioned a patient downstairs whose mate was devotedly caring for her. And her niece even went back from overseas and hired a caretaker for her. Thinking of Sera, the nurse marveled at her consideration and filial piety, and wondered if she was married.
The nurse didn’t notice that Julian’s hand clenched. After a long pause, he asked, “Do you know her niece’s name?”
The nurse hesitated.
“Let me see… Sera? I’m not sure.”
She left. The second the door closed, Julian threw back the covers, got dressed, and ran out.
The closer he got to Sera’s aunt’s room, the more his heart pounded. It was her! It had to be Sera!
He wasn’t listening to the nurse until she mentioned a birthmark near the eye. He knew only one person with that birthmark–Sera! Doubt turned to certainty when the nurse mentioned her name. Sera was back, and she was so close to him!
Ignoring his weakened state, Julian raced down, searching room by room. The next second, he froze. A slender figure appeared before
him.
“Sera!”
His body moved before his mind, chasing after her. He couldn’t risk losing her again. She was his mate, the one he was meant to be with, but now the bond had been severed, and he or his lycan had no idea how to fix it.
Hearing the familiar voice, Sera paused, her hand on the doorknob. She turned to see Julian striding towards her.
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She spun
around and fled down the hallway. She had no time to wonder how he found her; she didn’t want to see him.
She burst out of the hospital and hailed a cab..
“Go!”
Julian caught up, pounding on the taxi window.
“Sera, Sera! Please, let me explain! Please, don’t go!”
Ignoring him, she urged the driver to speed up.
Julian tried to chase, but a sharp pain shot through his stomach, forcing him to bend over.
A shout pierced the air.
“Julian!”
Sera’s uncle saw this and flew into a rage.
He punched Julian in the face.
“How dare you show up again!”
Another punch landed. Julian, already weak from stomach pain, collapsed. Pale and trembling, he reached out, but Sera’s uncle turned and stormed away.
“Get lost! Don’t let me see you again!”
Sera’s aunt and uncle were furious and sad. They were furious that Julian showed up again. They felt sad because Sera’s was being harassed again because of themselves.
Sera’s aunt wanted to discharge herself and return home so Sera could leave royal pack again. Sera calmed her down, advising her to
stay.
From the moment she landed, she knew she’d eventually encounter Julian. The whole pack was his place. He could have found her from the moment she stepped off the plane.
Remembering Julian’s desperate pleas, she sighed. What could he possibly explain? She’d laid everything out in that note. If he had understood, he wouldn’t have asked her to forgive him.
Julian, desperate to see her again, wouldn’t give up. He had so much to say; he wanted to explain everything. He didn’t love Chloe at all. But Sera seemed to be avoiding him. He’d waited outside her aunt’s room for days, facing cold stares and judgment, only to be met with silence.
Late that night, Julian prepared to leave after a long waiting. Then, a slender figure appeared in the hallway.
His
eyes
“Sera!”
lit up.
Sera stopped, her gaze cold. She bypassed him and entered the ward. Her aunt was moved that morning; she returned to collect some belongings.
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